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Why I have to break up with Florida
Last edited Wed May 20, 2020, 10:11 AM - Edit history (1)
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/498683-why-i-have-to-break-up-with-floridaTheHill.com
Why I have to break up with Florida
By Steve Israel, opinion contributor — 05/20/20 08:00 AM EDT
Dear Florida,
Breaking up is hard to do, but another man has come between us. It was going so well: that overpowering desire to see you when that first flake of snow wafted in a stiff December wind; those moonlit jogs on the Miami Beach Boardwalk; the butterflies in our stomachs when we committed to spend the rest of our lives with you in retirement homes in Boca, Kissimmee and Naples.
But now, your United States senator, Rick Scott, is opposing federal aid to New York and other states impacted by the Covid-19 virus. In fact, he recently blocked legislation by a fellow Republican, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, that would give states more flexibility on how they use these emergency funds.
Scott argues that Congress should not help any blue state that is, in his estimation, ill-managed. He even flaunted his argument in a letter to the editor of the deep-blue-state New York Times: “It’s not fair to Florida citizens to send their tax dollars to bail out liberal politicians in states like New York for their unwillingness to make tough and responsible choices.”
snip//
Do New York’s leaders whine about it? Do they hold up vital emergency relief bills when “hurricanes, tropical storms, excessive rains, floods, and wind” impact your communities? No. We support these things because we believe that when you do well, Florida, we all do well.
By the way, it’s not just blue-state, do-gooder, liberal altruism. We’re New Yorkers, and we expect you’ll hold up your end of the bargain when we need help. We have been the epicenter of the pandemic. As I write this, the latest numbers are heartbreaking: 348,192 total cases and 27,617 coronavirus related deaths in New York. This virus is our Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Irma, Rita and Katrina – all packed into one devastating wallop.
I think we’re better off as friends, Florida. Maybe we’re just not ready for the kind of commitment that comes with being, you know, the United States of America. Maybe we both need more “me” time: When the next crisis hits, you take care of yourselves, and we’ll take care of ourselves. It’s not you, it’s your senator. But if at some point you start missing our tax dollars and subsidies, we’ll be waiting with open arms. Just don’t bring us flowers. Bring us federal aid.
Sincerely,
New York
Breaking up is hard to do, but another man has come between us. It was going so well: that overpowering desire to see you when that first flake of snow wafted in a stiff December wind; those moonlit jogs on the Miami Beach Boardwalk; the butterflies in our stomachs when we committed to spend the rest of our lives with you in retirement homes in Boca, Kissimmee and Naples.
But now, your United States senator, Rick Scott, is opposing federal aid to New York and other states impacted by the Covid-19 virus. In fact, he recently blocked legislation by a fellow Republican, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, that would give states more flexibility on how they use these emergency funds.
Scott argues that Congress should not help any blue state that is, in his estimation, ill-managed. He even flaunted his argument in a letter to the editor of the deep-blue-state New York Times: “It’s not fair to Florida citizens to send their tax dollars to bail out liberal politicians in states like New York for their unwillingness to make tough and responsible choices.”
snip//
Do New York’s leaders whine about it? Do they hold up vital emergency relief bills when “hurricanes, tropical storms, excessive rains, floods, and wind” impact your communities? No. We support these things because we believe that when you do well, Florida, we all do well.
By the way, it’s not just blue-state, do-gooder, liberal altruism. We’re New Yorkers, and we expect you’ll hold up your end of the bargain when we need help. We have been the epicenter of the pandemic. As I write this, the latest numbers are heartbreaking: 348,192 total cases and 27,617 coronavirus related deaths in New York. This virus is our Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Irma, Rita and Katrina – all packed into one devastating wallop.
I think we’re better off as friends, Florida. Maybe we’re just not ready for the kind of commitment that comes with being, you know, the United States of America. Maybe we both need more “me” time: When the next crisis hits, you take care of yourselves, and we’ll take care of ourselves. It’s not you, it’s your senator. But if at some point you start missing our tax dollars and subsidies, we’ll be waiting with open arms. Just don’t bring us flowers. Bring us federal aid.
Sincerely,
New York
Steve Israel represented New York in Congress for 16 years and was the chairman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015. He is now the director of the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University. You can find him on Twitter @RepSteveIsrael.
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